Chapter 28
Luna
“Love is the golden thread in life’s loom, making every tapestry a masterpiece.”
—Eloisa Hobby
After the healing circle, everything shifted for Luna and a contentment settled over her unlike anything she ever experienced. The next six weeks skipped by, strung together by one joyous moment after another. Not just for her but for Jeanie and Artie too.
Artie and Orion hung out together as often as possible, working on their art project. The dustup at the restaurant was forgiven and forgotten.
At Paul’s urging, Luna loosened her rules and allowed her daughter to go night beachcombing with Orion, just as long as they both had walkie-talkies to keep in contact with Paul.
The girls grew as close as sisters, confiding their secrets in each other and reveling in summer activities. They went surfing and parasailing and scuba diving and kayaking. Each night, Artie recounted her day to Luna and Jeanie, concluding with “Best day ever!”
Jeanie spent her days at the quilt shop, working on Luna’s design and hanging out with the quilters. Whenever she took a break from quilting, she and Sharon grew closer over spa treatments, mojitos at the tiki bar, and trips to the island’s attractions.
Luna no longer missed cell phones, and, in fact, she was enjoying the peacefulness of being disconnected from constant streams of information. She grew more relaxed and felt herself slowing down to the island’s natural rhythms. There was nowhere to rush off to. Nothing to do. Nowhere to be except on this laid-back island.
While Paul worked, she spent her days sketching, resurrecting the art skills she thought long buried. Paul would show up with a picnic lunch or they’d eat at the tiki bar and watch the ocean. They met in the mornings for coffee and pastries at Breaking Bread and took a leisurely beach stroll hand in hand most nights. Often, he surprised Luna with bouquets of exotic island flowers, and they would sneak kisses whenever they could.
Once, Paul cooked a spaghetti dinner for Luna, Jeanie, and the girls, making his mother’s secret marinara recipe. They ate alfresco while sharing their day with one another. Later, they played charades until the sun dipped low and then watched a movie on Paul’s outdoor screen.
Together, Paul and Luna took things one step at a time and did not rush physical intimacy—although there was lots of hugging and kissing, teasing and laughing. Twice, on Paul’s day off, they read books in side-by-side hammocks on the beach. Afterward, they wandered to the dock to watch the sunset with other lovebirds.
In the circle of Paul’s strong arms, Luna felt her fears of being abandoned and left without support that had dogged her since childhood slowly start to melt.
Her heart opened to him the way it hadn’t been open when they were teens. She didn’t know what was different. Perhaps it was the magic of Hobby Island. Perhaps it was Paul’s laid-back ease, a man now comfortable in his own skin. Perhaps she was healing her old wounds and making space for new love in her life.
Most likely all three.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that their meeting on Hobby Island was fated somehow. He’d appeared in her life again, right when she needed him most. Not that she wanted him to rescue her. Far from it. She wanted them to be on equal footing, each helping the other, but responsible for their individual growth. No, what Paul gave her was the gift of self-forgiveness and she owed him a deep debt of gratitude. Making amends with him was part of her healing journey, but she had to walk the path alone.
Then on Saturday night, the last weekend before the competition, Vivian, Clare, and Dot threw a bon voyage slumber party for the teenage girls on the island. Orion and Artie chattered about it nonstop. Neither had ever attended a big slumber party, and they eagerly awaited the planned activities—from Truth or Dare to campfire s’mores to pillow fights.
Paul dropped Orion off at the Nestled Inn and picked Luna up for dinner.
“I fear I won’t get a wink of sleep with all that giggling and karaoke going on at the Nestled Inn.” Laughing, Luna shook her head as she climbed into his golf cart.
“Spend the night at my house,” Paul said.
Luna lost her breath. “Are you suggesting . . .”
“Only if you’re ready. You can sleep in Orion’s room if you’re not.”
“Oh, I can’t begin to tell you how ready I am.”
His eyes lit up. “Do you want to skip the dinner reservation? I have sandwich fixings at the house.”
“Yes, please. Let me run and get an overnight bag.”
“Are you going to tell Artie where you’ll be?”
“She’ll be so busy with the slumber party that I doubt she’ll know I’m gone. If she asks, I won’t lie, but there’s no reason to volunteer information about my love life. Having boundaries is a good thing. And Mom will be there if she needs anything.”
“Hot dog,” Paul said. “I feel like the luckiest man alive!”
* * *
She went back for her bag. Artie was having a blast with the others, too busy to realize Luna wouldn’t be sleeping at the B&B that night. When Luna told her goodbye, Artie barely let her kiss her cheek.
“Bye, Mom. Later.” Artie took off.
“I’ll run interference,” Jeanie whispered. “Don’t worry about a thing. You go enjoy your night with Paul.”
“Thanks, Mom.” She gave Jeanie a hug. Things had improved enormously between them since their shared cry at the beach. It was Luna’s greatest hope that they could solidify the foundation of their relationship and keep growing and healing together.
A grin spread across Luna’s face in the darkness, pulse picking up speed. Reuniting with Paul, her long-lost high school sweetheart, after twenty-two years apart, kicked her anticipation into overdrive. She was so ready for whatever magic this night held in store.
One thing was certain. The man still gave her Olympic-worthy butterflies. She hadn’t felt this giddy and breathless since that day in his cabana.
Luna fanned herself, inner temperature rising. Whether the night brought fireworks or a deepening of their connection, she planned to savor every second with Paul. It wasn’t every day a woman got a second chance to rewrite history. She hoped she didn’t ruin it.
As they got out of the golf cart, Paul took her hand and led her to his cozy bungalow cottage. The white wooden porch swing swayed in the breeze, chain creaking softly, and the honeysuckle growing along the fence filled the air with sweetness.
At the front door, Luna hesitated. No turning back once she crossed this threshold.
Paul waited, his eyes trained on her face, still holding on to her hand. “No rush, Moonbeam. No pressure. I’ll wait a lifetime for you if necessary. Do you want to return to the B&B?”
“No.”
The moment hung suspended, shimmering like moonbeams dancing on the water. Luna shimmered too, swaying in the soft glow, lost in the mojo magic.
It was straight out of a dreamy movie montage—a seaside storybook love scene on their own personal island paradise. For this one perfect instant, nothing existed except tranquility and togetherness.
It was her first time having sex with Paul in over two decades. She didn’t know where this thrill ride was headed next. She tried not to project into the future. Right now, who cared? All that mattered was the way he pulled her close, kissed her like a starving man, and then smiled like she was the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen.
Welcome to make-out city, population: two. Woo! This night had taken a delightful turn from PG to NC-17. And Luna planned to enjoy every steamy second of this blissful pit stop with her sexy flame before life got real again.
Inside the house, though, she had another attack of awkwardness, just as she had the first time he’d brought her here. She felt a lot less emotionally messy now than she had then, but she was still a work in progress. Paul just seemed so very perfect. Was she good enough for him?
“Hungry?” he asked, heading for the kitchen area. “I’ve got turkey, ham, or roast beef.”
“Wow, lots of choices.”
“What can I say? We’re a sandwich family. Or if you’re in a veggie mood, I can make us caprese sandwiches.”
“Caprese sounds great.”
“On it.”
“Can I help?”
“No, you’re the guest.” He got out the panini press from underneath the counter and plugged it in to heat. He gathered the sandwich ingredients and nodded at the barstool. “Have a seat.”
Luna perched on the barstool and watched Paul drizzle the thick sourdough with extra-virgin olive oil. She felt like a virgin with him again. Was that silly? She propped her cheek in her palm and admired his strong wrists so muscular from gardening.
“What was the first plant you ever grew?” she asked.
“Gosh, that was ages ago, but I do happen to remember it because I won a Green Thumb award.”
“Get out. Really? You never told me that.”
“It was Mrs. Steph’s second-grade class,” he said, slicing a big beefsteak tomato with a serrated knife. “It was in the spring, and she had us plant seeds in tiny clay pots and grow them in the windowsill.”
“What did you grow?” she asked.
He made a face. “Lima beans.”
“But you don’t like lima beans.”
“Yuck.” He stuck out his tongue. “No.”
She shivered, thinking about what he might do to her with that fabulous tongue. “If you didn’t like lima beans, why did you grow them?”
“Mom had a package of seeds in the drawer, and she told me to use them. I wanted to grow corn. She said I had to give up my pipe dreams. People like us had to accept whatever life handed us.”
“Oh, Paul, I’m sorry that she didn’t believe in you.”
He shrugged and stacked mozzarella on top of the tomatoes, drizzling it with balsamic vinegar glaze. “She didn’t believe in herself. How could she believe in me?”
“For all her flaws, Jeanie’s always been my biggest cheerleader,” Luna said. “I need to tell her how much I appreciate her support. Except for what she did to you and then pushing me toward marrying Herc. That was huge betrayal.”
“She thought you’d be better off with Herc. Looking at it through her lens, I see why she believed that.”
“She was wrong,” Luna said, watching the steam rise from the panini press as Paul cooked their sandwiches.
“I think she knows that now.”
Luna got up and walked around the bar to wrap her arms around his waist.
“Hold up,” he said. “I’m manning a hot instrument.”
“Mmm. I like the sound of that.” She pulled his head down for a kiss.
He kissed her until the timer on the panini press dinged. “Dinner is served.”
They sat side by side at the bar, eating the tangy, cheesy caprese sandwich, crunching potato chips, and washing it down with iced tea.
“Where do you see yourself in ten years?” Why had she asked? She was inviting trouble. She told herself she was just going to enjoy the evening, no expectations.
“Gardening on Hobby Island,” he said. “If Eloisa will still have me.”
“Even after Orion is gone? No plans of resurrecting old dreams?”
“No. Not for a second. You couldn’t pay me enough to rejoin the rat race. I have it made here. I love what I do. I want for nothing. My bank account is healthy. Julie had a large life insurance policy, and I invested the money well. While I loved the military, I honestly love gardening more.”
“Wow,” Luna said. “I’m jealous. You’re set.”
“What will your future look like?” he asked. “Back to Dallas?”
“Oh no. I’m over that.”
“Julep?”
“No, no. Julep is temporary until I get my life sorted.”
He traced his finger over her hand and stared deeply into her eyes. “Where then?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. Maybe one of my kids will get married and raise babies and I can live near them and babysit.”
“That sounds nice.” His voice was low. “No big art career dreams for you?”
Luna gave a little laugh. “Oh, Paul, I have no money. No credit. I’m lucky if I can buy a candy bar on what I have left after Herc lost our life savings.” She paused. “If I did have the money to pursue my art, what would you think about that?”
“Me?” His gaze never left her face. “I would be thrilled for you.”
“Would it—” She broke off, hopped off the barstool, and started clearing their plates.
“Would it what?”
“It’s moot.” She hunched her shoulders and walked around the counter to rinse the dishes in the sink. “I can’t afford to go after my art dreams. I’ve still got Artie in high school for another two years.”
He came to stand beside her at the sink and put his hand on her wrist. “Luna.”
She looked up at him, heart pounding. “Yes?”
“I’m going to go brush my teeth now,” he said. “You might want to do the same.”
“Hmm, are you saying . . .”
“The night is young.”
“What if we’re not compatible anymore?”
His gaze searched her face. “After those red-hot kisses we’ve shared these past weeks? I’m not the least bit worried.”
“I just don’t want you to feel obligated.”
“Obligated? For what?” One corner of his mouth quirked up in an endearing grin.
“A future together.”
“What if that’s what I want?”
She bit her bottom lip. “Then maybe we shouldn’t do this.”
“Moonbeam, are you telling me the feelings I’m having for you are one-sided? Because that’s not the message I’ve been getting from you.”
She shook her head. “No, they’re not one-sided.”
“All right then.” His curls flopped rakishly across his forehead. “Just gonna brush the old chompers and I’ll be right back.”
* * *
They ended up in the cabana again, curtains drawn back so they could stare up at the stars. Luna smiled, remembering her previous visit to the cabana.
Curled up next to each other, their legs entwined, her head on his chest, they named the constellations the same way they’d done in the back of Paul’s truck the last time they had made love twenty-two years ago.
Nothing felt righter than this moment.
“There’s the Big Dipper.” Luna pointed.
“Ah,” Paul said. “Ursa Major.”
“The bear.” She growled and laughed. “Too bad we can’t see Orion this late at night in the summer sky.”
“There’s Cassiopeia.”
“We considered that as our children’s names, remember?”
“I do.” Paul’s voice came out husky. He tucked her closer to him and kissed her forehead. “But Artemis and Orion just felt right.”
“They’re wonderful young women,” Luna said. “We both got lucky.”
“That we did.” His fingers toyed with her hair. “There’s Hercules, rich and bright, high up, hogging the night sky.”
Hercules. Hercule. Herc.
Luna tensed, wondering why Paul had pointed out that constellation. “Are you jealous?”
“Of Herc Boudreaux? Hell yes!”
“Don’t be.” She drew a heart with her fingertip over his sternum.
“He got two decades with you that I missed.”
“Herc and I never had the connection that you and I do. But I made the best of our marriage. We raised two great kids. I can’t regret that.”
“No, you can’t.”
“There was a stark difference between the two of you,” she said.
“What was that?” Paul asked. “Besides the fact that Herc was rich and I was poor?”
“I remember when I knew I wanted you to be more than just my friend.”
“When was that?” he asked. “I wanted to be more than your friend all along, but I was too afraid to say it, so I held back and waited for you to catch up.”
“Really?”
“Oh yeah.” His velvet voice caressed her in the star-studded night. “So when did you want more? Was it the night I wore a tight pair of jeans? Because that was on purpose.”
“Don’t think I didn’t notice the jeans.” She laughed and rolled on her side to face him. She peered into his eyes. “But that wasn’t the moment I knew.”
“Are you gonna keep me ignorant of my charms that got the girl?” His smile widened to his twinkling eyes.
“It was the night our astronomy class came back from the Stephen F. Austin Observatory in Nacogdoches. The school bus didn’t get back to Julep until two in the morning. Everyone else just walked off the bus, got into their vehicles, and took off. But not you.”
Paul frowned thoughtfully. “What did I do that so impressed you?”
“You stayed behind. You helped the driver unload the bus, and you cleaned up the debris. No one asked you. You just did it. That’s when I thought, here’s a guy I can count on.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I thought of you every time Herc and I came home from family vacation, and he left the unpacking of the car for later. Later was always when I did it. I’d think, If I were with Paul, we would do it together as soon as we got home. No putting things off like Herc or my father.”
“Oh, Moonbeam.” He looked so sad it tore her heart in two pieces. “You were alone in that marriage, weren’t you?”
Mutely, she nodded, but it didn’t matter now. “How were things between you and Julie?”
“They were good. Then again, we were married less than two years. She was a sweet, unassuming person and I loved her.” He paused, his gaze never leaving her face. “Not in the same way I loved you, but we had something.”
“I’m so deeply sorry you lost her. I hate that for you and Orion.”
“I was wrecked when she died. You think I’ve got it all together? You should have seen me back then. Single dad, changing diapers on my own. I had help, don’t get me wrong, but I spiraled. I went wild. I took care of my responsibilities but on the nights I had a babysitter?” He clenched his teeth. “I was out drinking and whoring around.”
“That’s understandable. You lost your wife so young.” She rubbed his shoulder.
“Believe me, I was a hot mess.”
She moved her hand from his shoulder to cup his cheek. “But look how you rebounded.”
“Only because of Eloisa. She’s a saint.”
Luna felt a tug of unexpected jealousy she wasn’t proud of. She pulled her hand back, curled it under her chin. Her insecurity asked, “How different am I than Julie?”
He stroked her cheek with his knuckle. “Julie didn’t challenge me the way you do. She was uncomplicated.”
“Oh, so I’m complicated, am I?” She smiled, trying for lighthearted. She had no right to be jealous of his late wife. None at all.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“You sure about that? I can be a handful.”
“Lucky for you, I’m good with my hands.” He gave a soft laugh.
She sobered, locked gazes with him. “These past few weeks have been so special to me, Paul. I can’t begin to tell you how much.”
“Ditto, Moonbeam.” Then he drew her closer and kissed her long and sweet.
She absorbed his heat, but instead of firing her up, his kisses stoked her melancholia. “We’ve both lost so much.”
“All the more reason to celebrate our reunion.” He nibbled her bottom lip.
“I want this,” she whispered.
“Me too.”
Softly, she started crying.
“Wait, whoa, what’s all this about?” He encircled her with both arms and kissed away her tears.
“Life’s just so fleeting and precious.”
“Yes, but look how much we’ve gained.”
“I regret everything I did that hurt you.”
“Shh, shh, stop beating yourself up. Just let it go.” Then he scooped her to his chest, got to his feet, and carried her into the house.
They made love, not like the red-hot, randy teens they’d once been, but like mature adults who knew they’d found a precious thing to hold on to.
And their intimacy was better than ever.